Dear NM and City Year New York:
I am one of those lucky
people.
Statistics will tell you that I should not be writing to you
today. My socio-economic status and family background would draw you a mental
picture of a drop-out, working multiple jobs in seedy locations just barely
getting by. My life and the lives of my childhood friends are filled with
abuse, teen-pregnancy, violence, tragedy, poverty, failures and missed
opportunities.
Yet, still, I am a lucky one - and I want to share that luck
with others.
What changed my life was Milton Hershey School; a free
boarding school located in Hershey, PA. The school was endowed by the famed
chocolate maker and his wife, Catherine “Kitty” Hershey, in 1909.
Today, the
school provides everything from clothes and health care to education and family
life for K-12th grade students from across the United States who
demonstrate serious financial and social need. The school may be one of the
greatest philanthropic secrets in the history of the world. Life was not always
easy at MHS, but the struggles there were about chores, assignments, and school
rules – nothing like the permanent trauma any of the students would have
experienced at home. After entering the school as a 5th grader in
2000, 8 years later I am a proud alumna, attending Ithaca College in NY with
the help of a $75,000 scholarship from MHS which every student receives upon
graduation.
With my own life experiences and the exposure of others’
life stories heavily embedded into my mind, I have gained a profound
sensitivity to the daily struggles of the invisible youths of our country, as
well as the importance of even the smallest victories in their lives. I also
have practical technical skills gained from interning at various locations –
from general office skills with computers, telephones, and filing, to archiving
historic material and peer-conflict-resolution skills. I enjoy organizing,
planning, and doing work which invites creativity. My goal is to join the Peace
Corps after earning my bachelor’s degree, but in the meantime I’d like to
volunteer as much as I can while also being a full-time college student,
working part-time, and being President of the IC Art Club.
Working with City Year New York as a summer intern is the
materialization of a dream; a dream of giving back. I want to return the favor
to the community, the family, and the legacy of Milton Hershey and his school.
Having been provided for so much in my life, I know how important it is for
someone to reach out and care about you – to help you up so that you may learn
to stand on your own. I can see few other ways to fully accomplish that than
working with kids who could achieve excellence if only they had a hand to hold
them up.
That is why I am applying for this opportunity with City
Year New York. Few other volunteer organizations have the duality of both
providing for their communities while embracing the diversity within that
community. Those who volunteer with City Year testify to not only teaching, but
being taught. Perfect relationships are symbiotic, and I have chosen City Year
for just that reason. Please consider me for this internship. Thank you for
your time.
Respectfully,
